Martin Lewis fan reveals how they got an £8,500 refund from their council - check if you’re eligible too

A Martin Lewis fan revealed how a tip from the consumer champion helped her secure a £8,500 refund from her local council. The woman received the money via a council tax rebate after she found out he was paying too much.

The amount of council tax you pay is based on your band (A-H) - but you can challenge it if you think you are in the wrong band. If this is found to be the case, you can get money back for anything you’ve overpaid.

It will also mean you’ll pay less moving forward, too. Writing in the MoneySavingExpert’s newsletter, the woman said: “Thanks sooooooo much for the advice regarding wrong council tax bands on your show a couple of weeks ago.

“We have had a refund going back to 1993 from our local council of £8,500!!! “We are now a band less (F to E), so also pay £30 less each month - meaning I can afford an extra glass of bubbly.”

What is council tax and what are the different bands?

Council tax is an annual fee renters and homeowners must pay to their local authority to fund local services such as libraries and bin collections. If you live in England, the amount you pay is based on the value of your home on April 1, 1991.

Each home falls under a different band. These are:

• Band A - up to £40,000
• Band B - £40,001 to £52,000
• Band C - £52,001 to £68,000
• Band D - £68,001 to £88,000
• Band E - £88,001 to £120,000
• Band F - £120,001 to £160,000
• Band G - £160,001 to £320,000
• Band H - over £320,000